For the Love of Lilacs

These are the first lilacs I have grown since leaving Canada in 1994. Their smell is intoxicating and prompts primal memories of my mother. Native to Europe, the lilac is associated with magic, renewal, wisdom, and love. Is it any wonder that this briefly blooming flower reminds me of my magical, wise, loving mum?

Be the change

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Gratitude for Books

Books are a part of my identity. As I evolve to deal with my worsening low vision, I grew into the idea of releasing small-type books. While their physical presence has brought me much joy over the course of my life, it is also important to recognize limited space in our home. And these joyful books may produce beautiful experiences for future readers.

Thank you for being my books.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

I want to acknowledge that my husband and I are living on the traditional territory of the indigenous Wampanaog, Nauset, and Massachusett. As a recent arrival to Cape Cod, the site of the first contact between “Pilgrims and Indians,” I am thinking about what it means to acknowledge the history and legacy of colonialism.

I enjoy many privileges today because of colonialism. What can we do beyond acknowledging the territory where we live? How can we develop relationships with peoples whose territory we are living on in the contemporary geopolitical landscape? Do we have a realistic understanding of the on-going violence and the trauma that is part of the structure of colonialism?

Meditation Teacher

In 2019, I studied with Namah Shivaya International School of Yoga and Meditation to complete certification as a Meditation Teacher. The course taught me new skills and I was able to integrate years of meditation practice and mindfulness training with intentional meditation curriculum development.

Therapy Dog

Molly and I completed her certification as a therapy dog. Her sweet personality and eagerness to socialize makes her an ideal visitor in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and schools.

"It often happens that a man develops a deeper love and friendship with his pet cat or dog than he does with most of the other humans in his life."
-Henry David Thoreau

Wildlife Habitat Rehabilitation

While continuing to nourish our home in Los Angeles as a Certified Urban Wildlife Habitat, I persist in raising awareness about the need to plant milkweed across North America in our efforts to sustain the declining monarch butterfly population.

"Saving the monarch is actually a challenge that we can solve," says Collin O'Mara, president of the National Wildlife Federation. "All it takes," he says, "is planting milkweed."

Education Advocate

This year, I am expanding my advocacy for excellent education for all children. By using my talents in writing, marketing, and communications, I am sharing the stories of top educational leaders, in order to provide a beacon of success for all educators to model.

I continue to coach parents to crystallize their thinking about what they want in education for their children.

"Were all instructors to realize that the quality of mental process, not the production of correct answers, is the measure of educative growth something hardly less than a revolution in teaching would be worked."
-John Dewey, Democracy and Education